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Microsoft announces the Surface Pro 3

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Re: Microsoft announces the Surface Pro 3

#121

Post by LeafyGreenbriar »

bunderbunder wrote: post #89
ggreer wrote: post #50

That's a really nice piece of hardware. I've used MacBook Airs since 2010, but the Surface 3 looks to be strictly dominating in the hardware department. Unfortunately, I don't think Microsoft will convert many OS X devs unless they make some changes to their software. One of the advantages of OS X is that it's a Unix, and lots of Unix software runs on it. It's not hard to compile tools such as nmap, Vim, or steam loc…

I think there's something of a double-standard here. I use a virtual machine running Windows to take care of software my Mac won't run natively. I could just as easily run Linux or BSD in a virtual machine on a Windows box. Or even OS X, if I were in a EULA-violating mood.

I've had to run a Windows VM on a Mac because I needed to run SSMS, but if I were doing .NET development in Visual Studio and heavily using PowerShell on the command-line, I'd probably prefer to just have a Windows computer rather than having so much of my workflow inside a VM.

Because I currently work mostly on the command-line, having a rich command-line environment with access to a powerful shell and great tools is really important to me, and I wouldn't want that to be restricted to a VM.

Re: Microsoft announces the Surface Pro 3

#122

Post by codeulike »

ldd- wrote: post #59

As a proud Gen 1 Surface Pro owner, this looks spectacular. My Surface replaced my laptop, and while I definitely had my issues with the transition (trackpad sucks so often use external mouse, aspect ratio is inconvenient for Office, display angle is limiting, and no built-in LTE), I've ultimately come to enjoy using it. I've almost always got it with me, and I've found I've become nearly as productive on it as I was…

Yeah I have a Surface Pro 1 and I now use it for everything - development, taking notes, writing apps, playing minecraft, scribbling on PDFs. The direction they're taking the Pro 3 seems to be a good clear message at last 'the tablet that can replace your laptop' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1t7rSZT_77E The bigger screen is a good move I think.

I've started using the ArcTouch mouse with my surface when I'm out and about, rather than the touchpad on the cover. Works pretty nicely and folds flat. But then I've always preferred a proper mouse to a touchpad.

Re: Microsoft announces the Surface Pro 3

#123

Post by justin66 »

iandanforth wrote: post #104

Warning, rant. Why the duck isn't there information on the Surface Pro 3 on the MS website? Apple has done this so well, for so long, I am pissed-off MS can't get its act together. You make an announcement, you need presence on the web. You need to start your customers expectations building, whet their appetite, and tease them. Their experience starts now and right now that experience is reading news articles and rea…

> Apple has done this so well, for so long, I am pissed-off MS can't get its act together.

Apple doesn't pre-announce products at all, do they?

This was sloppy (Microsoft is going to have something up for preorders tomorrow, why not just put it up when the speech is finished?) but it's not something Apple even does.

Re: Microsoft announces the Surface Pro 3

#124

Post by JimmaDaRustla »

mikerg87 wrote: post #70
astrodust wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

While it's great to see Microsoft innovating like this and pushing their product aggressively forward, it must really chafe with their OEM community. Why would you buy some clunky classic notebook when you can get a Surface 3 for virtually the same price? It's basically impossible for OEMs to compete when Microsoft can include Windows for free and they have to pay a premium to bundle it.

I really haven't seen the surface pro compete on price. Similar Lenovo offerings for 256GB and 512GB SSD ultra books have similar pricing. I honestly think MS shopped around the concept of surface to OEMS and I think the OEMs said "Pass. No Thanks. we'll stick with our incremental and existing form factors". I think MS was forced into a corner and concluded they needed to go it on their own.

Kind of like how Razer built their own laptop - the OEMs have stagnated and their hardware isn't competing on an innovation front.

Re: Microsoft announces the Surface Pro 3

#126

Post by themodelplumber »

I look at the environment in which the product was presented and it's just one no-no after another. Check out this photo:

http://thenextweb.com/microsoft/2014/05/20/microsoft-unveils...

They've picked some awful desaturated blue/green wallpaper image that clashes with the tiles that are supposed to be so great in Windows. Then the tiles themselves have this weird whitespace issue that creates an imbalanced appearance and even allows some tiles to use a right-aligned symbol rather than the default center.

To say nothing of the shirt Panay is wearing. Nice and shiny, I'll give it that.

Then I watch the MS dubstep ad for this product and it's just a bunch of meaningless flash. You don't even get to see people smiling, just music and lights (dah dah-dah). Oh and a pen writing on the screen, as if that's some miracle of modern technology. You can take notes with pictures in them, too.

This is a step up from most Windows laptops, I'm sure, but the presentation really needs improvement. There is amateur work that is so much better than this. Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugmR9nq3Yiw -- Wacom review done by an Australian cartoonist.

Re: Microsoft announces the Surface Pro 3

#127

Post by JimmaDaRustla »

rbanffy wrote: post #83
JimmaDaRustla wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They put the typecover on - stills weigh less.

Is that a mechanical backlit keyboard? Are we comparing apples to apples (no pun intended)?

The point of the comparison isn't to compare the two products against each other, but rather to suggest that the Surface is more power/technology for less weight as a portable device.

Re: Microsoft announces the Surface Pro 3

#128

Post by JimmaDaRustla »

TillE wrote: post #58
yulaow wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Image link that prove it: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BoF3_u-IgAE2WBh.jpg

After seeing that photo, "this other device with a significantly larger screen weighs more" isn't so impressive.

No, not at all. I stated elsewhere: The point of the comparison isn't to compare the two products against each other, but rather to suggest that the Surface is more power/technology for less weight as a portable device.

Re: Microsoft announces the Surface Pro 3

#130

Post by bcbrown »

bratsche wrote: post #74
paperwork wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm rooting for MS. My (not so serious) test for windows is simple: the day I can resize dos command prompt as easily as terminal windows on linux/osx is the day Microsoft I need to seriously consider going back to windows :)

I know you're not being serious, but there are some other terminal apps that are better than the basic DOS prompt. Check out ConEmu, for example. Now, once you've got ConEmu or something like it that will resize nicely and do other things, you'll still be stuck on the crappy DOS-style prompt though. :)

I feel similarly, and seriously. It's not so much just the usability of the command prompt, but that it would be a symbol of a change in priorities towards adding functionality for developers, and welcoming non-Windows technical audiences.

If I'm using a non-built-in terminal, and a non-built-in Unix compatibility layer, why am I using Windows?

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